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The Society
The Society, or sometimes called the New Society, was formed in 1939Season 2, Cassette #4: Bardo Museum (1975) after the end of the Great Reckoning in 1938.Season 2, Cassette #1: Tate Modern (1971) As of 1971, there were 200 million people in the Society, which allegedly encompassed the entirety of the remaining world. Nations It was agreed that the root problem of war was arbitrary divisions and tribalism, and so as a result the Demilitarisation Act was passed in 1950, removing military power from all nations. Any kind of military force formed after that point would have to be approved by the unanimous vote of the Societal Council.Season 3, Reel #4: February 15, 1954 Subsequently, nations as independent bodies were abolished in 1952. Flags and anthems were disposed of, and historically hierarchical buildings were stripped of their power. Buckingham Palace was preserved but was deconstructed and reconstructed outside of London over 18 months starting in 1959, and replaced with housing and workspaces.Season 2, Cassette #3: El Museo de Arte Comtemporaneo (1974) Although cities and counties were still referred to as being in the former-country (eg. London was in the former-United Kingdom), technically these names were no longer in use.Season 2, Cassette #6: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1978) The Society was governed by the World Council and Architects of the New Society. Collective Homes and Programming Centres Families were also deconstructed during the war. By the 1940s, children were no longer permitted to be raised with their biological parents, and instead were looked after in large groups by qualified caretakers. Children (possibly of all ages at first) were raised in a Centre designed for their needs. By 1953, at least four Centres overseen by North American Director of Trade Michael Witten had been constructed in the North American region, and a fifth was in progress, managed by Dr Sima Chowdary. Michael was worried because of several factors that Sima had included in their design, including the dormitories, which were unnecessarily crowded. Michael suggested instead that the children be paired with one roommate, which they should have an element of choice towards - this would slow the spread of sickness and make the children happier and more relaxed. Michael was also extremely concerned to note the lack of a playground of any kind, which was essential for healthy development both mentally and physically. He added that the kitchen should be much bigger than planned, as he had seen the mistake of a small kitchen made before, and it was frankly unkind towards the staff. While the classrooms in Sima's design are practically perfect, the recreation rooms are far too similar to the learning centres, and he reminds them that the Centre is a home, not a just school. Michael attempts to appeal to Sima's own childhood (likely teenage) experiences, citing the food, the pills, and the regimen, before admitting that he "can't remember shit". He says that the recreational areas should be dedicated to warmth and comfort, with soft lighting, comfortable furniture, and welcoming colours. Michael also noted a need for exponentially more beds in the infirmary, and although the library is to be envied, it needs more nooks and places to read, as well as books that aren't directly required by the school curriculum. He also asks Sima to please send the missing pages that detail the staff quarters for the Centre.Season 3, Reel #1: July 3, 1953 Eventually it was established that once a child reached 10 years of age, they would have their memories removed and they would be moved to a Programming Centre. The memory process was not perfect and the return of memories could be triggered.Season 1, Cassette #10: Horopito At the Programming Centre they would begin a ten-year "pharmaceutical" regimen that turned them into productive members of the Society.Season 2, Cassette #5: Van Gogh Museum (1977) In these Centres of around 30 teenagers, they would practice relaxation, have classes, eat meals, exercise, as well as spend time in "isolation rooms" and go through tactile retraining.Season 2, Cassette #5: Van Gogh Museum (1977) The first Collective Homes for children under 10 were established in the early 1960s, one of which was in Kota Tua. The caretakers who ran these facilities were not allowed to touch the children, as it was thought this would create a parental bond which was deemed undesirable for a society free of conflict.Season 1, Cassette #5: Focus, Nose There is a collective home close to Atieno's Cornwall House, and part of her body was discovered there.Season 2, Cassette #8: Ohara Museum of Art (1980) The Institute The Institute was a facility dedicated to the study of anomalous people that the Society may find "interesting". This included violators of the 1955 Family Dissolution Act, which stated people could not seek out their biological family. Main article on The Institute Art and Culture Because of the Reckoning, art took a backseat for the beginning of the 20th century.Season 2, Cassette #10: Karikari Contemporary Gallery (1986) Many old famous artworks such as those of Van Gogh, Monet, and Cézanne were damaged during the Reckoning. It wasn't until the 60s that art really made a comeback, and many artists thrived in this time period. However, there were artists and art collectors active in the 50s, such as Vivienne Witten and Bernice Jones, who were excited by the early work of Claudia Atieno.Season 3, Reel #2: August 13, 1953 Bernice Jones, the North American Minister for Culture in 1953, was concerned with preserving cultural history and artistic freedom. She was supported in this by Michael Witten. In August 1953, Witten wrote a letter to Ursula Lindholm, Director of Communications, Department of Global Trade (European office), and brought attention to the shutting down of a play put on in Dublin by playwright Neve Connolly titled "Last Night We Were the Wind". The London office called the play "grotesquely retrospect" and shut down the production on the grounds of its criticism of the New Society. Witten argued that the departments of Labour and Culture should be conversing with artists to find the right message, not censoring anything deemed inappropriate. He also pointed out that they were only one year removed from the removal of nations and a London office shutting down a Dublin play might hurt some feelings after England's imperial control over Ireland. Many of the artists beginning to flourish in the New Society tried replicating old pieces or forming their own takes on them, such as Claudia Atieno's "Stars". It seemed that many of the artists of the Society were less than pleased about certain aspects of the new social structure, although they rarely publicly spoke out about such matters, possibly due to censorship. People claiming to be a part of The New New Revolution often came to Atieno's Cornwall commune, which was mostly frequented by artists. For a compilation of artwork featured in Within the Wires, visit the Art page. Other Legislation and Policies In 1952, Karen Roberts testified against Secretary of Trade Vishwathi Ramadoss for keeping records on people in violation of the Citizen Espionage Act of 1951, although Director Witten claimed that the records were within acceptable parameters in 1953, and it is implied that no charges were ultimately pressed. In 1958, there was a public scandal where it came out that the World Council, overseen by the Trade Commisson, kept secret and extensive records of international merchants, including artists such as Atieno. Ramadoss was implicated but never faced tribunal. Archie McPherson died in 1974 outside his home, reportedly of heart failure. As one of the most outspoken critics of the Society, this is sketchy at best. In 1969 Roimata Mangakāhia made reference to it being "mandatory" to travel as a citizen of the Society. She said that as a result, people generally did not live in one town more more than a couple of years. Season 2, Cassette #0: Karikari Contemporary (1969) However in Hester and Oleta's time, it was not required to travel. While Hester had been around the world during her studies, Oleta always stayed in the same place.Season 1, Cassette #6: for Oleta References Category:Organisations Category:Locations